Military Children & Spouses Benefits & Scholarships Information

Military family members may be just as affected by life in the military as their loved ones who serve. If you’re looking for military spouses scholarships and benefits information or military children scholarships, you’ve come to the right place.

Let’s start out by taking a look at some military benefits information for families.

Transfer of Post-9/ll G.I. Bill® Benefits to Dependents (TEB)

The TEB program allows qualified military members who don’t wish to pursue college-level studies to transfer their Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® benefits to their family including their spouse, child, or a combination of qualifying dependents. The Department of Defense determines whether or not benefits can be transferred. Once the transfer is approved, military family members can apply for them at the VA.

Eligibility Requirements:Military family members of the armed forces or selected reserve (who are eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill®) must be enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and be eligible to receive benefits at the time of transfer.Servicemembers must meet the following criteria:

Have at least six years of service in the armed forces on the date of approval and agree to serve four additional years in the armed forces

Have at least 10 years of service in the armed forces on the date of approval, is precluded by either standard policy (by Service Branch or DoD) or statute from committing to four additional years, and agrees to serve for the maximum amount of time allowed by such policy or statute.

Have at least 10 years of service in the armed forces on the date of approval, is precluded by either standard policy (by Service Branch or DoD) or statute from committing to four additional years, and agrees to serve for the maximum amount of time allowed by such policy or statute.

Submits transfer requests and receives approval while the member is in the armed forces.

To learn more about military spouse benefits information, visit: benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_transfer.asp

Survivors & Dependents Assistance (DEA)

Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) was set up to provide education and training opportunities to qualifed military family members such as children and spouses of certain veterans.

Offers up to 45 months of education benefits that may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeships and on-the-job training

As of October 1, 2013 some DEA beneficiaries may qualify for 81 months of benefits if you are eligible for DEA and another GI Bill® program.

Payment rates vary

Eligibility Requirements:To qualify for DEA, you must be a son, daughter or spouse of:

A veteran who died or is permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability.

A veteran who died from any cause while such permanent and total service-connected disability was in existence.

A servicemember missing in action or captured in line of duty by a hostile force.

A servicemember forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.

A servicemember who is hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability. This change is effective December 23, 2006.

To learn more visit: gibill.va.gov/benefits/other_programs/dea.html

Military Scholarship Information for Spouses and Children

In addition to military benefits, there are also scholarships and grants available to help qualified military family memebrs afford their pursuit of higher education.

Now let’s take a look at some more potential scholarship options for eligible military families.

Spouse Education Assistance Program (EAP)

The Spouse Education Assistance Program is a scholarship program designed to help qualified spouses of army soldiers to earn a 4-year undergraduate degree.

Eligibility Requirements:

Student must be part-time (minimum of 6 credit hours per semester) or full-time (minimum 12 credits per semester) and working on an undergrad degree

Must be the spouse of either a Soldier on federal active duty, a retired Soldier, or the widow(er) of a Soldier who died on active duty or in a retired status

Student must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale

Student cannot be a member of the National Guard, Reserves or other military branch

To learn more about military spouse scholarships, visit: aerhq.org/dnn563/Scholarships/Spouses.aspx

The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Program (MyCAA)

MyCAA provides up to $4,000 of financial assistance to qualified military spouses who are pursuing their license, certification or Associate’s degree in certain high-demand and high growth career fields or occupations. Military OneSource counselors will also help qualifying participants to explore their career options, create a plan of action for their education and training, and perfect their resumes.

Eligibility Requirements:

You must be a spouse of servicemembers (including members of the National Guard and Reserve components) on active duty in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2, and 0-1 to 0-2

You must be able to start and complete your coursework while your military sponsor is on Title 10 military orders

Visit the MyCAA Spouse Portal online at aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa to apply

To learn more about the MyCAA, review the Fact Sheet at: militaryonesource.mil/12038/Project%20Documents/MilitaryHOMEFRONT/MyCAA/FactSheet.pdf

NMCRS Education Assistance Program

This education assistance program provides interest-free loans and grants that range from $500 to $3,000 per academic year to eligible children and of active duty, retired or deceased Sailors and Marines – and qualified spouses of active duty and retired Sailors and Marines.

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

You must enrolled, or plan to enroll as a full-time student

You must be pursuing your initial undergrad degree at an accredited institution in the U.S. that is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education

Your school must also be a participant in the U.S. Department of Education Title IV Financial Aid Programs

You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 grade scale

You must demonstrate financial need

To learn more about scholarships for military children visit: nmcrs.org/pages/education-loans-and-scholarships

Federal Student Aid and Military Children Scholarships

If you are a child of a servicemember who died in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11, you may be eligible for additional federal aid. To qualify, you must have been less than 24 years old or enrolled at least part-time in a college or career school at the time of your parent or guardians death (payments will be adjusted if you’re not enrolled full-time).

Federal Pell Grants:

If you are qualified to receive a Pell Grant (and you meet the requirements above), you will receive an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of zero. This maximizes your Pell Grant eligibility and could increase your eligibility for other federal student aid programs.

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants:

If you meet the above qualifications but aren’t eligible for a Pell Grant based on your EFC, you may be qualified for an Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.

For more details on federal student aid for military children, visit: studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/military

Over the years, many states have also developed programs to help service personnel and their families find local housing and tuition assistance for universities and colleges. Visit your state’s official Web site for more information on these assistance programs.

This is a private website that is not affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site is not connected with any government agency. If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, please visit the official U.S. government web site for veterans’ benefits at va.gov. For more information on eLearners, visit our FAQ page or follow the About Us link found below. To contact eLearners email us at militaryinquiry@elearners.com.

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